Two cheerleaders of the KTM motorbike company stand under an umbrella at the Dubai Marina prior the start of the final ceremony of the UAE Desert challenge Competition on October 31, 2008. Qatar Nasser Al-Attiyah driving BMW X3 became the first Arab driver since Qatar?s Saeed Al-Hajri in 1993 to clinch victory in the traditional final round of the FIA World Cup across the remote deserts of the UAE. AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI (Photo credit should read MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images)

Photo: MARWAN NAAMANI, AFP/Getty Images

Two cheerleaders of the KTM motorbike company stand under an...

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TRAVEL-SIGNSPOTTING/DOUG LANSKYNot a bad sign for a car mechanic in Germany. Only problem is this one is in California. He might consider changing it to: "We specialize in foreign cars, foreign cars & foreign cars."Location: San Mateo, Calif.Pub date: Nov. 9Next time you find yourself scratching your head or chuckling at a sign, please snap a picture and send it in (see signspotting.com for submission details) so other travelers can enjoy your pictures, too. In return, if your snapshot is used, we'll send you $50 and print your name next to your photograph, and you'll qualify for a chance to win a Star Alliance Round-The-World plane ticket.

Photo: Leo Duerr, Signspotting.com

TRAVEL-SIGNSPOTTING/DOUG LANSKYNot a bad sign for a car mechanic in...

$13 London fare? Not anytime soon

Don't go looking for those $13 fares to London or Dublin any time soon. They're at least two to three years and a "huge if" away.

Ryanair, the Irish super-budget airline, kicked off a frenzy of rumor and speculation last week when CEO Michael O'Leary said it planned to begin service to San Francisco and several other U.S. cities, with transatlantic fares starting at 10 euros ($12.75).

But in a subsequent interview with the Guardian newspaper, O'Leary said the venture would require Ryanair to acquire 50 to 60 long-haul aircraft cheaply over the next 18 months, which he called a "huge if." But he said financial pressure on other airlines during the current economic troubles might make this possible. It would take another 12 to 18 months after that before service could begin, he said.

CRUISING

Dubai is latest base for Royal Caribbean

Riding the wave of worldwide buzz over the freakish pace and level of tourism growth in Dubai, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line says it will base a ship there in 2010 for a season of weeklong voyages in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

From mid-January to mid-April 2010, the 2,100-passenger Brilliance of the Seas will sail an itinerary that includes stops in Muscat, Oman; Mina Sulman, Bahrain; and the United Arab emirates of Fujairah and Abu Dhabi. The ship stays overnight in Dubai at the beginning and again at the end of the voyage.

Royal Caribbean is the second company to homeport in Dubai for weekly cruises, but the first to widely market the trip in North America. Italian line Costa Cruises started offering roughly the same itinerary in December 2006, but did not advertise it in the United States, instead relying mostly on Europeans to fill ships.

Dubai, a 1,500-square-mile kingdom on the Persian Gulf that is one of the United Arab Emirates, is getting more attention from the large cruise lines as they look for new itineraries that can be marketed as exotic and safe. Most upscale small-ship lines offer trips with stops in the region, but not regular itineraries based there. The ship that will base in Dubai more often than any other is the Queen Elizabeth 2 - which is currently on its last series of cruises before sailing to Dubai to become a permanently moored luxury hotel.

- Spud Hilton

AIR SERVICE

New Oakland flights to Bellingham, Wash.

Air service between Oakland and Bellingham, Wash., will begin in February, it was announced last week.

Operated by low-cost Allegiant Air, the two-hour flights will depart from Oakland International Airport Mondays and Fridays at 5 p.m. daily. The return flight will depart at 2:10 p.m.

Home to Western Washington University, Bellingham is wedged between the coast and the North Cascade mountains, just south of the Canadian border.

Poe died in Baltimore in 1849 and is buried there at the Westminster Burying Grounds. The city plans an elaborate reenactment of his funeral on the anniversary of his death in October.

The city aggressively promotes its ties to Poe thanks in part to a mysterious visitor who leaves a half-empty bottle of cognac and three red roses at the author's grave every year on the anniversary of his Jan. 19 birthday. The city also named its football team the Ravens to honor Poe.

Associated Press

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Universal Hollywood opens on holidays

For the first time since opening in 1964, Universal Hollywood will be open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The holiday openings mean Universal Hollywood will be open 365 days a year.

Attractions include The Simpsons Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, Shrek and the Studio Tour.

Associated Press

WORLD TRAVEL WATCH

Vietnam inundated by deadly floods

The worst floods in 35 years claimed 92 lives and inundated more than 100 Hanoi neighborhoods with at least a foot of water. Heavy rains let up Nov. 5 but scattered showers were forecast for the following two days, followed by more heavy rain. Authorities were hopeful that the flood waters would recede completely from metropolitan Hanoi before more heavy rain came. The floods affected a wide swath of northern and central Vietnam.

Australia: A crocodile at the center of a controversy over wildlife relocation will be remembered for something else: as an example of the consequences of littering. The crocodile, relocated from remote Cape York in the tropical north to Townsville, died shortly thereafter from unusual causes. Officials found 25 shopping and garbage bags compacted in the croc's stomach that prevented it from digesting food.

For updates and further advisories, call the State Department at (888) 407-4747 or visit travel.state.gov.